Bottle-seal.



PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904.

W. B. HEATH.

BOTTLE SEAL.

APPLICATION IILED SEPT. 1o, 190s.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented August 9, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM E. HEATH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO STAND- ARD BOTTLE-OAIJ CORPORATION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

BOTTLE-SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,947, dated .August 9, 1904.

Application filed September l0, 1903. Serial No. 172,686. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. HEATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Seals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to Inake and use the same.

The invention relates to an improved sealing device for use with bottles and jars.

v The main object of the invention resides in the production of a sealing device of the cap variety adapted to be readily secured to a bottle to form a perfect seal and so constructed as to be readily removable when desired without the use of a tool for the purpose.

The invention consists, essentially, in a cap formed with a slot or divided opening' in contradistinction to a weakened line so arranged as to not interfere with the effectiveness of the cap as a sealing medium and also in forming the cap with means to effect the ready separation of the divided cap-flange or` spreading of the free end thereof as a whole to permit the ready and convenient removal of the can.

The preferred embodiment of my invention will be described lin detail in the following specification and is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the preferred form of my improved cap, showing the same in place on a bottle-neck. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, showingI an exterior protecting-cap in place. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, illustrating' the position and operation of the parts in opening or separating the cap-flange to permit the removal of the cap from the bottle. Fig. I is a plan view illustrating the formation of the cap from a single blank. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line V:11 w of Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the use of my cap without the usual inner flanged disk. Fig. 7 is a detail View showing the parts of my preferred form of seal, the parts being shown separated. Fig. 8 Is a perspective View of a cap formed In accordance with my invention, the finger-piece being formed in 'the depending cap-Iiauge. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the cap, shoW ing the cap-flange encircled by a strengthening-band. Fig. l() is a modified form of the cap shown in Fig. 8, the cap being' entirely closed at top except along the dividing-line.

Referring to the accompanyingdrawings, l represents the bottle, having the usual iiat mouth edge 2 and formed contiguous the mouth with a .bead 3, which latter forms the holding edge for the cap and is the sole prerequisite of a bottle to be sealed by my cap, as

,in all other respects theY bottle may be of any usual or preferred construction.

. Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and S), wherein is illustrated my preferred construction, it will be noted Vthat the cap proper, 4C, comprises a metal body of skeleton form having a comparatively narrow horizontal circumferential flange 5 and a vertical depending iiange 6, the latter being of sulficient depth to extend slightly below the bead 3 when in place on the bottle. The Iianges 5 and 6 are divided by a single transverse or radial slot 7, which extends entirely through the metal of the cap and serves to permit its removal in a manner to be presently described.

Formed integral with the cap and preferably occupying the space `within the liange 5 is what I term the linger-piece 8, preferably of a shape in outline corresponding' to the inner edge outline of flange 5 and joined with said flange at a point at right angles with relation to the direction and location of the slot 7. y

The cap as a whole is preferably formed of a single blank, as illustrated in Fig. t, the metal being cut or stamped out by a die to form the linger-piece' and dividing-slot and then bent to form the flanges 5 and 6.

In use on a bottle or like article the sealing is accomplishedthrough the medium of a flat circular disk 9, of soft impervious material, such as cork, which disk rests on the edge of the bottle-mouth and is of asize to extend to or slightly beyond the edge thereof. Over this disk there is fitted a cap or flanged disk lO, the flange of which is of a size to snugly embrace the outer edge of the bottle-mouth. 'Ihe cap proper, 4, overlies the disk l0, the flange 6 depending slightly below the bead 3. in which position the disk 10 serves as a support for the finger-piece 8 and also as a protective medium for the sealing-disk 9 and the contents of the bottle, as will be seen from the drawings. Pressure is now applied to the cap proper, forcing the sealing-disk 9 down onto the bottle-mouth edge, and owing to the compressible nature of said disk it will be forced slightly into the bottle-mouth, forming a sealing-line slightlyy below the extreme hupper edge of the mouth and adding to the efectiveness of the seal. A suitable tool is now applied to the extreme lower edge of fiange`6 of the cap, forcing or spinning the latter beneath the bead 3, securing the cap in place, and effectively sealing the bottle.

It will be noted that the strain incident to the use of the cap as a seal in no manner affects the divided opening or slot 7, as such sealing strain is exerted at a right angle to the strain necessary to spread the flange.

Hence the cap is fully as effective as a seal with the slot 7 as without it.

It is to be understood thatthe sealing-disk 9 and the flanged disk l() are combined with and contained within the cap et and are applied to the bottle as a whole and at one operation.

In unsealing the bottlethat is, removing the cap-the finger-piece 8 is bent upward until approximately vertical, the dividing opening or slot 7 being turned away or from the operator. Lateral pressure on the lingerpiece will separate the flanges and 6 along the divided opening, withdrawing the free edge of iange 6 from beneath the bead 3 and permitting' the removal'of the cap., The position of the parts in the unsealing operation is clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, except that the .slot 7 is turned toward the operator for Lbetter illustration.

Experience has demonstrated that in such uses as will subject the caps of my invention to severe or rough usage prior to theservice as seals some means should be provided to prevent the distorting ofthe cap. I have made provision for the contingency, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 9, in the former of which I cover the cap proper with a protecting flanged disk or cap l1, leaving sufiicient of flange 6 projecting to permit the spinning operation before described. In Fig. 9 theprotecting means is in the form of a narrow strip handling to which Vthe `cap may be subjected` prior to its use as a seal, hence insuring a perfect-fitting' article when desired for use.

Both the cap 11 and the strip l2 are de` signed and adapted to be readily removable prior to the unsealing of the bottle, the for` mer by simply forcing it from its position and the latter by breaking or slipping it off the cap.

In some uses of the cap the flanged disk 10 may be dispensed with, as the sealing-disk will meet all requirements. For example, in the use of my cap on milk-bottles or the like the disk 9 may be the usual waterproof compressible fabric of asize slightly larger than the eXtreme diameter of the bottle-mouth, in which instance the pressure forcing the cap proper onto the bottle will force the disk 9 onto the bottle-mouth and cause it to lap or extend down both outside and inside the bottle-mouth, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6, forming an effective seal and protection without the use of the flanged'disk 10.

While I prefer to form the linger-piece 8 integral with the angef of the cap, it is fully evident that other and modified forms of the same may be fully as effective. For instance, I have illustrated in Fig. 8 a modified form of finger-piece, in that the said finger-piece 13 is formed integral with the depending' fiange 6. In this construction the finger-piece is formed contiguous the slot 7 and serves the same function in opening the cap as finger-piece 8, as will be obvious. It may also be found desirableto make the top of the cap of solid formation rather than skeleton form. Such l a structure is illustrated in Fig. 10, wherein the cap 14- is of solid top with the depending flange 6, the nger-piece being formed in the cap-flange, as illustrated in Fig. 8. In this instance, however, in order to provide for the effective removal of the cap the dividing slot or opening l5 should extend entirely across the cap-top, as well as through the flange- 6. In the use of this form of cap the flanged disk l0, which serves as a protection in the preferred form of cap, may and preferably is entirely dispensed with, the sealing-disk 9 being placed directly in the cap.

It has been heretofore proposed to. form a cap arranged for convenient removal from a bottle by weakening a certain portion or line thereof; but such articles have been found objectionable, in that a proper weakening to permit removal of the cap without the use of a tool renders the cap imperfect as a seal, as it is unable, due to the weakening, to stand the necessary sealing strain. I have entirely avoided such objection, as my cap is formed tobe readily removable through pressure applied in a particular direction, and the opening-line will yield to pressure in this direction only, and the strainincident to the use of the cap as a seal is never in the opening direction.

It will be noted that in removing the cap from the bottle the pressure exerted on the finger-piece tends to spread the lower or free edge of flange 6 as a whole from beneath the bead 3, permitting the cap to be simply lifted from its seat on the bottle-mouth. The spread- IOO IOS

IIO

IIS

ing of' the cap-flange destroys the further utility of the cap as a seal, thus in a manner insuring the original condition of the contents of a bottle bearing a perfect seal.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is- 1. A sealingV device comprising a cap having a depending flange, said flange being divided and Without connection at said division during use. y i

2. A sealing device comprising a cap having a depending flange, said flange being' divided and Without connection at said division during use, and means to spread the flange along' the line of said division.

3. A sealing device comprising a cap having a divided depending flange, and means to spread the flange as a Whole.

4f. A sealing device comprising a cap having a divided depending flange, and afingerpiece to receive pressure to spread the flange as a whole.

5. A sealing device comprising a cap having a divided depending flange, and a fingerpiece integral with the cap and adapted to receive pressure to spread the flange as a whole.

6. The combination, With a bottle having an exterior bead, of a sealing-cap having' a depending divided flange to be turned beneath the bead to seal the bottle, and means topermit the spreading of the flange as a Whole from beneath the bead.

7 In combination with a bottle, a sealingcap to be secured on the bottle-mouth and having a depending flange, said flange being formed With a slot to provide an unconnected division of the flange when in place on theV 8. In a combination With abottle, a sealingcap therefor of skeleton form comprising a horizontal and a vertical flange, both of said flanges being formed with a slot to provide an unconnected division of the flanges when in place on the bottle.

9. A sealing-cap comprising a horizontal and a vertical flange, both flanges being' divided, and means to spread the flanges as a Whole.

10. A cap comprising a horizontal flange and a vertical flange, both flanges being divided, and a finger-piece to spread the flanges as a Whole.

11. A sealing-cap comprising' a horizontal flange and a vertical flange, both flanges being divided by a single slot. and a finger-piece integral with the horizontal flange and adapted to spread the flanges on the line of division.

12. A cap formed of a single blank stamped to leave a circular band with a central opening' and divided by aradial slot, a finger-piece projecting into the opening, the band being bent on the circumferential central line to form a vertical flange.

13. A bottle having an exterior bead adjacent its mouth, in combination With a cap containing a compressible sealing disk to be forced onto the bottle, said cap having' a depending' flange to be locked beneath the bead, said flange being divided by a slot to permit the spreading of the flange as a Whole from beneath the bead.

14. In combination, a fiat circular disk of coinpressible material, a flanged disk emb 'acing the fiat disk and a sealing-cap receiving the flanged disk andflat disk, said cap having a vertical divided flange, and means for spreading the flange as a Whole.

15. A bottle having an exterior shoulder, in combination With a fiat disk of compressible sealing material to be forced onto the bottlemouth, a flanged disk to receive the flat disk and embrace the bottle-mouth, and an exterior cap to fit over the flanged disk for seal* ing the bottle, said exterior cap having adivided depending flange and a linger-piece to spread the flange as a whole, said flange being arranged for locking beneath the shoulder on the bottle.

16. A sealing-cap comprising a body portion and a depending divided flange, in combination with means to prevent spreading of the flange of the cap prior to the sealing operation.

17. A sealing-cap comprising a body portion, a divided depending flange, andan integral finger-piece, in combination with means encircling the flange to prevent spreading thereof prior to the use of the cap as a seal.

18. A sealing-cap for use on a bottle and having' a depending flange to embrace the bottle, said flange being divided and Without connection at said division when in place on the bottle. g

19. A sealing-cap for use on a bottle and having a slotted depending flange to embrace the bottle-mouth, the meeting edges of said flange being Without connection when in place on the bottle, and means to force the meeting edges of the flange apart.

20. A sealing-cap for use on a bottle and having a slotted depending flange to embrace IOO IIO

the bottle-mouth, the meeting edges of said WILLIAM E. I-IEATI-I.

Witnesses:

CHAs. C. HEATH, Jos. S. IAnen'rr. 

